Music crystallizes the experiences that stay with us. The crushes that once felt enormous, the friendships that changed us, and the moments when we began seeing ourselves differently can embody meaning through a song. Some artists make those memories feel so vivid that listeners can imagine aspects of their own lives in them.
That sense of recognition runs through Nashville singer-songwriter Winston Liv’s debut album, Joan of Snark. Blending reflective folk, playful pop, country influences, and alternative attitude, Liv turns the defining moments of growing up into a personal introduction to who they are.
Joan Of Snark Finds Meaning In Growing Up
A playful twist on Joan of Arc, Joan of Snark captures Liv’s combination of conviction, humor, and self-awareness. Its coming-of-age songs explore first love, friendship, independence, identity, and the emotional shifts that accompany getting older.
Liv has carried many of these stories for years. They began writing poetry in seventh grade, then joined their middle school choir and learned the ukulele. Poetry gradually became lyrics, and songwriting became a bigger focus in high school.
“Many of the songs on this album are songs I started writing in high school,” Liv explains. “As I continue to write songs, I think it’ll be neat to see the growth and maturity with each album release.”
That history gives the record the warmth of a creative time capsule. Liv looks back with greater perspective while preserving how important those early experiences once felt.
The Songs Turn Memories Into Something Bigger
The bright, bouncy “Muse” follows a crush that began when Liv changed schools in seventh grade. Drawn to someone in science class, Winston spent the following years drawing them in sketchbooks, doodling them across class notes, and writing poetry about them.
Liv eventually transformed that one-sided crush into a song while completing an assignment for a college songwriting class. “Muse” traces the experience through middle and high school, finding something joyful and creatively valuable in feelings that were never returned.
That class holds an important place in Liv’s story. As an animation student, they couldn’t enroll at first because it was reserved for music majors. Their dad encouraged them to send the professor a demo of “Sugar Baby,” and the song’s strength earned Liv a place.
“Sugar Baby” explores a friendship that felt increasingly unequal, with Liv questioning if the other person only wanted to spend time together when they were paying. The track wraps that realization in dreamy warmth and an immediately memorable indie-pop melody, turning a personal lesson into something quietly cathartic.
Liv’s visual and musical worlds come together most clearly on “Werewolf.” The song was inspired by Gévaudan, the animated senior thesis film they created while completing their animation degree.
Rather than viewing the werewolf as frightening, Liv connected transformation with freedom. The idea of “shedding your skin” became a way to explore gender identity and the relief of being recognized as your true self.
“I wanted an anthem that I and others could sing when we are dealing with tough things like dysphoria, misgendering, and those people who refuse to understand and/or accept us for who we are,” Liv says.
Together, the three singles reveal the emotional and creative range. “Muse” celebrates inspiration, “Sugar Baby” recognizes personal value, and “Werewolf” finds freedom in becoming yourself.
Why Winston Liv Belongs On Your Radar
Winston Liv is the kind of artist who makes every part of their creativity count. Songwriting, poetry, animation, and visual art all feed into music that feels vivid, personal, and entirely their own.
Their real strength is making specific memories feel universal. First crushes, complicated friendships, and questions of identity become bright, catchy songs with real emotional weight.
Joan of Snark is witty, vulnerable, and packed with personality. Liv already has a clear voice, a distinctive point of view, and the confidence to follow an idea somewhere unexpected. If this is where they are beginning, we cannot wait to hear where they go next.
